Dragons use late game heroics to pick up win in home opener
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports September 17, 2022
Jasper, Ga — It was a welcome sight for Dragon fans on Friday, September 16th as the Pickens Dragons were at home for the first time during the 2022 season as they welcomed the Christian Heritage Lions for Homecoming, and the final non-region contest. It had been a rough go to start the season for the Dragons as they were on the road against three playoff caliber teams and couldn’t come away with a win. The Lions, came in looking for a win as well as they came in with a 1-2 record. After some back and forth, a late touchdown and interception by the Dragons sealed a 24-22 win.
Christian Heritage, won the toss and elected to differ to the second half. The Dragons, got the ball first and drove down the field to punch it in for the first score of the game. Freshman Landon Poole took the hand off and ran it in from 15 yards out. Pickens went for two, but were unsuccessful in the attempt. With 8:04 left in the first quarter, the Dragons held a 6-0 lead over the Lions. The Dragons added to their lead as Senior Kadyn Hampton punched it in from 4 yards out. The ensuing PAT attempt was blocked and with 2:08 left in the opening quarter, Pickens led Christian Heritage, 12-0.
The Lions answered with a screen pass from Sophomore Carter Triplett to Senior Eli Thomason went 55 yards for the score. The PAT was good and as we headed to the second quarter, the Dragons led Christian Heritage, 12-7.
Dragons on offense in the first quarter
The next drive for Pickens started as the first quarter was coming to an end. As the second quarter began, the Dragons faced a third down just inside Lion territory. The Dragons were able to convert, and end up scoring on the drive as Junior Sam Streicher found Junior Marcus Pike in the corner of the end zone for a 13-yd touchdown. The 2-point conversion attempt was no good and with 11:10 left in the first half, Pickens led Christian Heritage, 18-7. AS time expired in the first half, the Lions hit a 39-yd field goal to cut the Dragons lead down to 18-10 as we headed to the break.
Dragons on defense
The third quarter was dominated by defense as both teams kept the offenses out of the end zone. Both teams had opportunities, but could not score. Going to the fourth quarter, Pickens still led Christian Heritage, 18-10.
Isaiah Williams with the catch on the screen pass
In the fourth quarter, the scoring would resume. The Lions, got in on a 9-yd touchdown run by Sophomore Jaylon Gay. The 2-point conversion to try to tie the game was no good, and with 8:11 left in the game, the Dragons were clinging to an 18-16 lead. Christian Heritage took the lead for the first time after a 45-yd touchdown pass from Triplett to Senior Braden Koneman. Once again, the 2-point try would be unsuccessful, and with 5:08 left in the game, it was the Lions that held a 22-18 lead. Down, but not out, the Dragons offense took the field looking to send the Dragon faithful home happy. After a hold was called on the Lions, Streicher found Junior Isaiah Williams, who ripped the ball away from a defender, at the 50-yd line for a big gain.
Faced with fourth and long and the game on the line, Streicher, again made a big time throw as he connected with Senior Mason Powell, who made a fantastic sliding grab for the first down. Streicher then found Senior Colby Brooks on the screen pass and Brooks took it to the 7-yd line. Streicher, then kept it himself and got into the end zone from 7 yards out to give the Dragons the lead. The PAT was blocked, and with 47 seconds left in the ball game, Pickens led Christian Heritage, 24-22. The Lions, still had time on the clock to try to make a comeback as well. After getting near midfield, Christian Heritage had one last shot. The final pass was intercepted by Junior Mason Stanfield to end the ball game and give the Dragons a 24-22 win.
With the win, the Dragons finish off the non-region portion of their schedule at 1-3. With the non-region schedule done, the Dragons will now turn their focus to 7-AAA play next week. The Dragons will kick off region play as they travel to Dahlonega to take on the Lumpkin County Indians, who have been one of the surprise teams early on, have started the season 4-0. This will be the 39th all time meeting and the first meeting between the two schools since 2009. The Indians currently have a 3-game win streak against the Dragons. Pickens last win against the Indians came on the road in 2006. The Dragons lead the all time series 19-18-1. Kick off is set for 7:30.
Dragons fall just short in high scoring game against Mountaineers
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports August 27, 2022
Chatsworth, Ga — It was a first time match up on Friday, August 26th as the Pickens Dragons took to the road for the second straight week as they battled the North Murray Mountaineers. Both teams came into this game looking to bounce back after tough losses to open the season as the Dragons fell to Sonoraville 27-15, and the Mountaineers fell to Dalton, 49-27. In this one, it seemed like if you blinked you missed another big play or touchdown. It came down to the final seconds as North Murray came away with a 54-50 victory.
In the first quarter, the Dragons got the ball to begin the game. As the Dragons were driving, the Mountaineers forced and recovered a fumble around mid-field. North Murray cashed in on that turnover and scored on a 5-yd touchdown run. The PAT was no good and with 8:11 left in the first quarter, the Mountaineers held a 6-0 lead. Pickens, came back out on offense, looking to answer. Answer they did as Sam Streicher found Marcus Pike streaking down the near sideline for a 57-yd touchdown. The PAT was successful and the Dragons took a 7-6 lead with 7 minutes left in the first quarter. The Mountaineers, came back with a 4-yd TD run by QB Seth Griffin. The PAT was good and North Murray took a 13-7 lead going to the 2nd quarter.
Canaan Denson with the hand off
Early on in the second quarter, the Dragons finished off a scoring drive with a 9-yd TD run from Canaan Denson. The PAT was no good, and with 11:34 left in the first half, the ball game was all square at 13. The Mountaineers, countered with a second rushing touchdown from Griffin. This one from 13 yards out. The PAT was good an North Murray retook the lead, 20-13 with 7:55 left in the first half. Pickens, needed just 2 minutes and 39 seconds of game time to get into the end zone as Mason Powell ran in for a 6-yd TD. The Dragons, then went for 2 and converted it to take a 21-20 lead with 5:16 left in the first half.
The Mountaineers, retook the lead on a 29-yd TD run that needed 81 seconds of game time. North Murray, went for the 2-point conversion attempt but was unsuccessful. With 4:35 left in the first half, the Mountaineers led, 26-21. The Dragons, got back into the end zone after a 39-yd TD pass from Streicher to Powell. The 2-point try was good and Pickens retook the lead, 29-26, with 1:12 left in the first half. North Murray, went hurry up in the final minute of the first half and got in with a 7-yd TD pass. The PAT was good, and the Mountaineers took a 33-29 lead over Pickens going to the half.
Dragons defense making a stop
The scoring definitely didn’t slow down in the second half. North Murray added to their lead after a 37-yd screen pass that went for a touchdown. The PAT was good and with 9:20 left in the third quarter, the Mountaineers took a 40-29 lead. The Dragons, looked to get back into the game as Powell plowed in for a 1-yd touchdown. His third total touchdown of the game. Pickens went for 2, but the attempt was unsuccessful. With 6:46 left in the 3rd, North Murray held a 40-35 lead. On the next Mountaineer possession, they ran a pitch play that had been successful for them prior, but the Dragons blew the play up and Kadyn Hampton recovered the fumble and took it into Mountaineer territory. Pickens cashed in on the turnover after a screen pass from Streicher to Isaiah Williams went for a 21-yd touchdown. The 2-point try was successful and with 4:46 left in the third, the Dragons retook the lead, 43-40.
After getting another stop on defense, Pickens extended their lead after Streicher found Hampton and he took the screen pass 66 yards for the score. The PAT was good and the Dragons would take a 50-40 lead over North Murray heading to the fourth quarter.
Sam Streicher slings it to Kadyn Hampton on the screen play
At the 9:32 mark in the fourth quarter, Griffin found the end zone for his fourth rushing touchdown of the game to cut the Pickens lead down to 50-47. Both teams had chances throughout the final quarter, but neither offense could quite break through. The Mountaineers, got into the end zone after a 24-yd TD pass. The PAT was good, and with 55 seconds left in the game, North Murray regained the lead, 54-50. The Dragons, had 55 seconds and all three timeouts to work with. The ensuing kickoff by the Mountaineers would go out of bounds and Pickens would take over at their 35-yd line. After a couple of runs and a big play to Pike, the Dragons were set up inside North Murray territory. With the seconds dwindling, Streicher heaved the ball towards the end zone, but it was batted down and the Mountaineers came away with the 54-50 win.
The Dragons, will look to rebound after a tough couple of weeks as they will again be on the road when they head to Blue Ridge to take on the Fannin Rebels for the first time since 2011. Both teams will be looking for their first win of the 2022 season and it is surely to be an exciting one between these two 515 schools. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm on September 2nd.
Dragons face old friends and new challenges as the ’22 season approaches
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports July 31, 2022
Jasper, Ga — The Pickens Dragons are just 12 days away from taking the field against the Rockmart Yellow Jackets in their second scrimmage in preparation for the 2022 season. The Dragons, are in a new region this year as we discussed in a prior article. While the Dragons are in a new region and new classification, the teams they are going up against are very familiar.
The 2021 Dragons went 4-5 overall and 1-4 in 7-AAAA. Despite that, they were just a game out of reaching the playoffs in a very competitive region. The Dragons, had a young, competitive bunch last season and with another year of experience under their belt, that bunch looks to take the next step in 2022.
Returning players:
The Dragons, return a vast majority of their players from the 2021 season. Returning under center is Sam Streicher. While he did battle the injury bug late in the season, Streicher finished 2021 with 1,353 yards and 13 touchdowns. He added 155 yards and 1 touchdown rushing. The leading receiver, Marcus Pike, is also back. Pike, finished with 668 yards and 5 touchdowns. The Dragons, also have their third leading receiver Isaiah Williams and their fourth leading receiver Colby Brooks back as well. The Dragons, will also have their leading rusher, Miguel Salto back toting the rock.
Defensively, the Dragons return their leading tackler from last season, Kadyn Hampton. Hampton, racked up 112 total tackles in 2021 recording 12.4 tackles per game and 12 tackles for loss. Also back, the Dragons second leading tackler, Kaleb Nicholson. Nicholson, recorded 64 tackles last season from the defensive line averaging 7 tackles per game. He also had 10 tackles for loss. The Dragons will also return Kaleb Taylor, Trevor Morgan, and Mason Powell on the defensive side.
Schedule:
As mentioned earlier, the Dragons will take on the Rockmart Yellow Jackets on Friday, August 12th at Dragons Stadium in the final tune up before the 2022 season. The Yellow Jackets, have been a very consistent, very good team for a while and have several athletes on both sides of the ball. It will be a good test in the fall scrimmage for the Dragons. Right out of the gate to start the regular season, the Dragons will head to Sonoraville to take on the Phoenix. The Phoenix, took the place of the Dragons in 7-AAAA and they have the tools to potentially make a run in 7-AAAA. What a way to open the year. From there, the Dragons travel to Murray County to take on North Murray and their really athletic bunch. The Dragons will log more miles after that as they head to Blue Ridge to take on the 2x defending region champion Fannin Rebels.
After a bye week, the Dragons finally have their home opener as they host Christian Heritage. Another team with some up and coming players that will be a good test for the Dragons. The Dragons will then get into region play in 7-AAA. With away games at Lumpkin, Dawson, and West Hall and big home games against Gilmer, White County, and Wesleyan. The Dragons have in total, 6 away games and 4 home games on the schedule. There is no easy game on this schedule either. I’m willing to bet, that’s how head coach Grant Myers and the Dragons want it.
Expectations:
With the Dragons returning many from last season’s team, they do also have some holes to fill. Kaleb Nicholson and Kaleb Taylor will sub in on the offensive line, Kadyn Hampton and Mason Powell will join Salto in the backfield. We saw during the spring scrimmage, Hampton moved from the linebacker spot to the secondary. With the Sanchez brothers, Jose and Juan moving on after graduation, the Dragons will have to see who can and will take over the kicking duties.
Then there’s the young guys. If you’ve seen the youth football scene in Pickens County the last several years, you know that a very talented group are heading into their freshman year. If you don’t know about them yet, you will soon enough. Will any of these promising players make an impact during the 2022 season? Time will tell. The immediate future is promising for the Dragons.
The Dragons are looking to get back into the playoffs and moving into a new region I believe helps that. With their non-region schedule the way it is, I firmly believe it will help them get ready for the grind that is region football. I see the Dragons making the playoffs, and possibly contending for a home playoff spot.
Record Prediction:
There is no short selling how difficult the Dragons non-region schedule is. Quite frankly I believe it is one of the tougher non-region schedules in the area. Three of the four games are on the road and all of the teams have legit chances to make the playoffs. Their schedule as a whole will be challenging in its own way. I think if the Dragons can manage a 2-2 record heading into the region portion of their schedule, they will be in a good spot. Final prediction: 7-3.
Dragons pick up Homecoming win against Union County
PHS Football, Team FYN Sports September 18, 2021
Jasper, Ga — Friday, September 17th was Homecoming night for Pickens High School as the Pickens Dragons hosted the Union County Panthers for their final non-region game before region play. This was the 12th all-time meeting between the two schools with the Panthers coming away with a 28-14 win last season in Blairsville. The Dragons, used a quick start on offense to propel them to a 45-7 win over Union County.
To start the ball game, Pickens would look to surprise the Panthers with an onside kick. The Panthers were able to recover and start their first drive of the game. After a defensive stop, the Dragons took over for their first possession of the night. Pickens wasted little time getting points as Sam Streicher threaded the needle to Marcus Pike, who took it 61-yds for the touchdown. The PAT was good, and with 10:14 left in the 1st quarter, the Dragons led, 7-0. It wouldn’t take long for the Dragons to strike again as it was deja vu all over again as Streicher again found Pike wide open as the play covered 60-yds. The PAT was true and Pickens extended their lead over the Panthers to 14-0 with 8:24 left in the opening quarter. After a short punt from Union County, the Dragons took advantage and Streicher used his legs to find the end zone from 13-yds out to make it 21-0 Pickens with 5:52 to go in the first quarter. Defensively, the Dragons were able to force the Panthers to punt from inside their own end zone after a sack. The snap on the punt was low and Pickens got in and blocked it and it was recovered in the end zone by Mason Powell for the touchdown. Going to the second quarter, the Dragons found themselves up 28-0 over Union County.
Sam Streicher passing to Marcus Pike.
The scoring slowed a little in the second quarter, but the Dragons were able to add to their lead as Streicher found Devin Hand for a diving catch in the end zone. The play covered 12-yds. With 5:15 left in the first half, Pickens led the Panthers, 35-0. Union County was able to string together a pair of good plays towards the end of the first half as they were able to pick off a pass and score on a 9-yd touchdown pass on the very next play. Going into the break, Pickens were ahead of the Panthers, 35-7.
Dragons defense getting after the quarterback
Both teams, for the majority of the third, traded possessions with no points. The lone touchdown in the quarter came from Hand, who plowed into the end zone with a 5-yd run. Going to the fourth quarter, the Dragons led the Panthers, 42-7.
Sam Streicher finds Devin Hand for the touchdown
In the fourth quarter, Dragons kicker Jose Sanchez added a 42-yd field goal to make it 45-7 Pickens. The Dragons, finished the game strong and picked up their third win of the season, 45-7.
With the win, the Dragons match their win total from the 2020 season. Pickens, will now have two weeks to get ready for the start of 7-AAAA play as the Cedartown Bulldogs will come to Jasper on October, 1st. Kickoff for that game is set for 7:30 pm.
PHS Wrestling finishes 3rd in 7-AAAA, Sends 8 to State
PHS Wrestling, Team FYN Sports February 8, 2021
Pickens County, Ga — Pickens High School was the center of the 7-AAAA wrestling world on Saturday, February 6th as teams from all seven schools arrived to try to win a region title as a team, but send individual wrestlers to the 4A State Tournament as well. It was a productive tournament for the hosts, the Pickens Dragons as they placed 3rd in the overall region standings. The Dragons also made a little history on Saturday sending a school record 8 wrestlers to the state tournament. Here are the finishes for the 8 Dragon wrestlers that punched their ticket to state:
1st: C.J. Murphy
2nd: Andrew Burrell
2nd: Julian Jacobs
2nd: Zak Price
3rd: Chris Knight
3rd: Dylan Gonzalez
3rd: Wesley Sultan
3rd: Kaleb Nicholson
4th: Eli Rittenberry
4th: Mason Powell
1st through 3rd place finishers will compete this week (February 9th-13th) in Macon in the 4A State Tournament. The GHSA will have the brackets posted soon.